It’s funny how many people aren’t interested in catching bluegill. I throw bass back because I’d rather not eat them, not to mention my kids might catch the same fish some day wehn it’s even bigger.

The female bluegill are the less brighter colored fish. After you catch a few you will notice some are very bright and other are a little less colorful. Releasing the female bluegill helps keep the population on the up. Throwing back large females also helps strengthen the genetics of the larger fish. Keeping all the big fish and throwing back all the small fish strengthens the small gene and this is why many lakes have almost all small bluegill.

Let me try to break it down into simple terms:

(1) Tainted water supplies have been a problem forever.

(2) Most of the problem is either natural agents — algae blooms, rot, etc…

(3) In the past 100 years, unintentional man-made contamination has become more of a problem. Pesticides. Fertilizer. The like.

(4) Poisoning a water supply requires an ungodly huge amount of material. Trucks full. That terrorists might do so is a hollywood scenario. It hasn’t happened in the real world (that I could find) because it just isn’t practical.

(5) The definition of terrorist is “a person who uses terrorism in the pursuit of political aims.”

(6) The definition of terrorism is “the use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims”.

Conclusion: The fish are there to protect against (2) and (3), not (4). The chances of (4) happening are fleetingly small. (2) and (3) happen every year around the country.

Now, read (6) carefully. See the word “intimidation”. The press and the government’s constant stream of fear mongering stories intimidates the population. It creates fear — terror — and therefore, perpetuates the terrorist cause.

There are legitimate reasons to be fearful these days. Certainly. Perptuating fear of scenarios that have never happened anywhere but in Hollywood or Simpsons cartoons is irresponsible.